WASHINGTON – Hal Hawk, president of a battery manufacturer in Fremont, has vowed to not go quietly as lawmakers in Congress consider shuttering the Export-Import Bank.

The obscure federal agency, which helps U.S. companies finance their exports, has provided critical insurance for Hawk's company, Crown Battery, which touts that its batteries power — among other things — mining equipment in the Americas, Africa and Asia.

"They essentially provide the insurance policy to make sure we are going to be paid," Hawk said. "If it goes away, it will cost jobs."

Crown Battery is one of 253 businesses and farms in Ohio that have sought the bank's help during the past seven years.

However, the bank now is the subject of a fierce debate in Congress, with Ohio lawmakers sharply divided on its fate.

Conservatives are hoping to kill the 80-year-old institution. Tea party-backed House Republicans argue it's a form of "corporate welfare," noting some of the bank's clients include politically-connected corporate giants such as General Electric and Boeing Corp.

Critics also have pounced on recent revelations that four Export-Import Bank employees were suspended or fired for allegedly accepting gifts and kickbacks and for steering contracts to favored companies.

"This program may have made some sense when it was created in the 1930s, but today it has become little more than billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded handouts to big, well-connected corporations," said U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana.

"Even worse, it is a program that allows Washington to pick the winners and losers," he said. "I think it is time to wind down the Export-Import Bank, and I hope we can start that process this year."

Supporters of the bank note it generally supports itself through interest payments and fees and actually is making money for U.S. taxpayers. More importantly, they say, it's vital to the U.S. economy and small businesses in particular — leveling the playing field for American businesses competing against heavily subsidized foreign companies.

"Other countries, including the Europeans, including the Chinese, provide much more substantial financing and subsidies" to their private industries, said U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. "If we unilaterally disarm, we're going to be losing jobs in America."

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said that during the past seven years, nearly 180 small businesses in Ohio have received assistance from the bank. They would suffer a huge blow if the bank is closed, he said.

"We know this creates jobs," Brown said. "We know this helps American competitiveness ... This should be easy."

Export-Import Bank provides U.S. exporters and farmers with billions of dollars in financing to sell their products to foreign buyers. It also provides credit insurance and loans to overseas buyers of U.S.-made goods and crops. Overall, the bank has helped American firms export $234 billion worth of products since 2007.

In the case of Crown Battery, Hawk said the bank provides a blanket coverage policy that pays his business if his international clients don't pay their bills. Without that insurance, he said his international business, which accounts for about 20 percent of his sales, would be hurt "substantially."

If Congress doesn't act, the Export-Import Bank's congressionally-approved charter will expire Sept. 30. It's not clear if there's enough support for renewal, as the tea party seeks to wield its clout in the GOP-controlled House.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester, is treading carefully on the issue, after supporting the Export-Import Bank in the past. He said the institution's operations merit fresh congressional scrutiny and declined to say whether he supports reauthorizing the bank.

"Laying my cards on the table tilts the balance. I don't want to do that," Boehner told reporters in June. "I want to get our members to a place where they're comfortable."

Boehner's newly elected deputy — incoming House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. — recently said he would oppose renewing the bank's charter, even though he voted to reauthorize the bank in the 2012.

McCarthy's reversal came after the current majority leader, Virginia Republican Eric Cantor, was defeated by a little-known tea party candidate in the GOP primary. Cantor was instrumental in securing the two-year Export-Import Bank reauthorization in 2012.

U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, said in a statement that he's heard from many employers in Central Ohio about how they benefit from the bank and that small businesses accounted for nearly 90 percent of the bank's transactions in 2013.

"In a perfect world, this type of export financing would not be necessary," he said. "However, failure to reauthorize Ex-Im would amount to unilateral disarmament in the face of other nation's aggressive efforts to help their exporters. The bank helps encourage American exports and gives businesses, especially small businesses, the resources they need to expand and create jobs."

Portman said he hopes lawmakers will renew the charter with some changes, including greater transparency and accountability.

Hawk said he doesn't understand why the bank is getting so much criticism because it is similar to what other countries do to sell in the U.S.

"I just don't think they understand the process," he said.

He said he's contacted Jordan, Portman and others to ensure they know the benefits the bank provides.